Labour’s Emergency Housing Plan

THE ISSUE

There are 4,200 New Zealanders sleeping rough or in cars at any one time. Because of insufficient emergency housing, it takes the Government over 155 days on average to house a homeless person.

No New Zealander should be homeless. We’re a better country than that.

HOW THE PLAN WORKS

Labour will take serious action to end homelessness by investing an additional $60m over four years in new emergency housing places so that families living in cars or on the street will have a roof over their heads.

Labour believes in a housing first approach, and that ideally individuals and families should be housed in stable and permanent accommodation in the first instance. Right now, there’s a housing crisis. We need immediate accommodation options while we get on with the job of building more homes.

NGOs acquire emergency housing by building or buying accommodation. The $15m a year of additional funding will provide 1,400 new beds – an increase from 800 at present to 2,200.

That is enough places to help an additional 5,100 people per year.

Typically, people are homeless for a period of a few months - there is a considerable flow of people in and out of homelessness. This new supply of emergency housing will be enough, over time, to support the homeless population into permanent housing. Labour’s commitments to build more state and affordable housing will mean more permanent housing is available for them.

Unlike the Government’s recent announcement, which only funds existing emergency housing, this policy will increase the number of beds available through community providers.

Labour will work with NGOs to help homeless people stay housed and access the services they need.

The Government must support the work of emergency housing providers by making sure essential wraparound services such as addiction, mental health and budgeting are made available.

This emergency housing policy is part of Labour’s comprehensive housing plan, which includes:

Building more state houses and maintaining them properly, rather than selling them off.

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Showing 6 reactions

Raewyn Scott commented
2016-07-11 21:13:46 +1200

@lloyd Morris Yes something like that and/or long leases similar to commercial ones, that can even be onsold. This business of someone buying an existing house then renting it out on a week by week basis, then being able to tip someone out, pretty much on a whim with a few months notice is highly unsatisfactory. In my view it is not much more than “people farming”. I really think that any policies/laws/regulations around housing must start with premise that houses are for people to make HOMES in, not some sort of casino. People need to be able to have some sort of stake in the ground and be able to become part of the community, even if they are renting. I believe our tenancy laws have in no small way contributed to the breakdown of our society, people with no stake in the ground soon stop caring.
Our housing situation is absolutely dreadful right now and our rotten tenancy laws, negative gearing, lack of a capital gains tax, investors not being charged commercial interest rates by banks then having the temerity to say they are running a business like any other. I could go on and on.
Labour you really do have to be brave over every man and his dog aspiring to be a landlords. It disgusts me to hear all these ads on the radio for property investment seminars and the like, I’m tempted to go along to one and give them all what for, these people are destroying the NZ was of life, I have no sympathy for them.
Phil Twyford made mention of changing our tenancy laws, I hope he has the courage of his conviction over this.

Lloyd Morris commented
2016-07-11 10:33:17 +1200

Yes. And many people who need better housing don’t want to buy because their work may require them to move. One way out of that dilemma is to create housing cooperatives. Moving in and out is legally simple and cheap. And you can create community facilities and layouts that encourage the building of vital social capital. An outstanding example is Greenbelt Maryland built 80 years ago and still going strong.

Raewyn Scott commented
2016-07-11 08:35:17 +1200

@lloyd Morris, I put it to you, that every person forced into a rental because they can’t afford to buy, especially with our tenancy laws where you can be evicted with 90 days notice at any time, every person living in a garage, sharing with relatives, when, if they could, would be in either their own home or a rental they can call home, not just a roof over their head, is homeless. That would immediately put the number easily into 6 figures.

mary Hobbs followed this page
2016-07-10 14:57:57 +1200

Lloyd Morris commented
2016-07-10 11:33:59 +1200

Housing First is a good place to start dealing with homeless people. And enabling long term tenure is a good goal too. But this “Emergency Housing Plan” is more a “Statement of Intent” than a Plan. It’s a bit like smelling a good meal cooking and then not getting to eat it. Citing sources and other evidence for its assertions would make it much more credible and persuasive.
For example, who says there are 4200 homeless? How precise or variable is that number? How many of them have long term issues of physical or mental health behind their current situation? How many are children? What concurrent changes in other policies will be required? What will those cost, both in immediate outlay and in final cost considering offsetting revenues and savings well as additional outgoings?
How does this Plan relate to broader concerns with the continuing decline in social capital and the rising prevalence of pernicious neo-liberal presumptions, such as those that lead to “blaming the victim?” What lessons can we draw from societal shifts in other countries, such as the UK, The US, Canada and Australia? All the detail will not fit in a concise declaration like this “Plan.” But for the many among us who would be willing to defend it, please give us more to chew on. And, at least, some mention of the related issues and the larger picture.